Code Silence: Surviving Casa by the Sea

"These places are not there for your kids' well-being. They exist because it's a huge money-maker... Let's not silence our children by making them fear more punishment and hurt from speaking out."

Like a lot of kids growing up in the 90s, I heard of "troubled teens" get dragged off stage on Jerry Springer in front of near-rabid audiences to boot camps. That was fiction, so I didn't think these places actually existed but they do, and they aren't run by specialists or anyone trained in the fields of Psychology or Education. They're represented by glossy flyers and modern websites promising results, when in reality they crush individuality and ruin lives.

Allie Burton, who was raised by strict Mormon parents, and so many other kids were abandoned in these programs by parents. Imagine parents of all walks of life foisting their "problem" children on complete strangers and then going on cruises and vacations like nothing happened. Somehow there was never a whisper of consulting with psychologists or therapists, just banishment to Casa by the Sea and the myriad of fascist rules and regulations.

Yes, fascist because kids were forced to report on each other and dole out consequences, and if they didn't, then they would be punished themselves. There was no privacy in or out of the bathroom, no shoes (just socks and sandals), no freedom to even look in a mirror, no speaking to each other unless someone else was present, etc. A kid could be given a consequence, lose points and extend their stay at Casa just for leaving one hair on their hair brush. Few program rules loosened in higher levels, but the damage was already done. The fear and night terrors followed these kids home, and some kids never recover.

Burton wrote about her experience at Casa with raw honesty in a stream-consciousness diary style that may leave you gasping and/or triggered. This is such an important read to spread awareness and healing with the hope that these abusive institutions can be shut down forever.